I'm planning on rebuilding my engine down to the head gaskets next week. I've exhausted forums and websites looking for everything I would need to do it all and haven't come up with anything that isn't a given. There may be no small mystical gaskets I'm missing but I get the feeling I am.
I have resurfaced and rebuilt heads, stock headgaskets, timing chain, Mishimoto radiator and hose kit, JWT oil pan spacer, water pump, Motordyne plenum spacer, rear timing chain oil galley gaskets (big thanks to conceptzperformance for those and more of these parts), and of course plenty of oil, coolant, and grey

rtv.







Valve cover gaskets.











Rear timing chain oil galley gaskets





Timing chain kit with all guides and tensioners.




If there's anything I'm missing, or tips and suggestions on things to replace or procedures to get all the new parts working right, please chime in. Finally doing what I can to fix oil consumption as well as some general 150k maintenance and minor upgrades. May do a write-up of it seeing as the closest I've seen was a turbo short block install. Sorry for the long post I'm just trying my best to be thorough.

 

Good luck. With regards to oil consumption, how did you come to the conclusion that this was the way to go?

 

Compression test showed that cylinder #4 wasn't off from the others and since cylinder 4 had the spark plug that would oil foul I assumed it was dumping in somewhere from the top. Also burning seemed to stop completely when it was warm and with bottom end issues that doesn't usually happen to my knowledge. It probably wasn't necessarily the entire head, more likely just the valve stem seals but I decided to go as all out on the build as my budget would allow.

 

How many miles are on it?

 

It was my understanding that oil consumption is usually a reflection of the piston ring seal with expansion when warm resulting in less consumption (so mostly during startup).

If you are redoing the heads, I would figure you might want to take the opportunity to put in some camshafts and springs for higher rpm power.

 

150,000. Enough to call it old but not enough to give up on it imo

 

As far as I know bad ring seals would continue to smoke on acceleration. Also they lead to lack of compression and power loss, neither of which are my problems.

I may well end up with continued oil consumption, which wouldn't be too horrific. I'm hoping that if the rings are bad then the heads are equally as bad and redoing the top end will hold off my problem until I can save the money to buy a short block. I am hoping not to have to do that until this time next year but its more up to my car when it happens.

I decided against cams due to budgetary constraints and having heard about idle issues. Until now suspension and clutches were all I'd done, I decided to stay safe and keep all my upgrades simpler. Also the springs would have to be pulled from the new head with a tool that I dont have negating the frugal selling point of pre-built heads. I do still have about $500 to spend in case of special tools or parts I made sure to have plenty extra in the budget in case I'm missing something.

 

If I recall jWT sells the special tool for pulling the locks off the valves, unless you are going to have a maching shop do the valve work for you, I would recommend getting one and replacing the valve stem seals at least while you are there..

 

The heads I bought were fully machined and rebuilt. New everything inside that way I wouldn't have to spend the time or money to do it myself. The main point of this build was to replace the stem seals which if I'm not mistaken is my main issue. I posted mainly to see if i was missing something, thoughts on how necessary head studs on a nearly stock engine were, whether there are any hoses or gaskets I'm missing and should replace, should I swap the stock injectors at 150k even if i don't seem to have a problem, etc. Since I haven't lost compression or power, my guess would be according to what I've found, bad seals, moderately messed up HGs, bad O-rings on the waterpump, or something about the valve stems themselves. I have all my bases covered with those. Just asking for help on what else I haven't gotten down

 

The only thing I would be concerned with is spark plug tube seals, you may be able to see ok with rtv although i hate going that direction. From what I have heard, no one can get ahold of R&D factory for their seal kit.
From everything i have read it would definitely be worth swapping to head stud and get the upgrade out of the way now. Less chance of head lift than using the old bolts.
Hope all turns out well for you!

 

My spark plug tube seals seem to be perfectly fine currently, was just going to lightly rtv them. It sucks that there are actually quite a few parts for our cars that don't exist as standalones. I was thinking about doing studs, isn't it unnecessary considering I'm adding tops 10hp with the plenum spacer? Any recommendations or is ARP the end all be all?

 

So intake plenum upper and lower gaskets, should probably put new orings on injectors, and I need the vtc solenoid gaskets, and new oil seal for the crankshaft thing in the timing chain.

 

All the coolant hoses.

 

I posted a picture of them, Mishimoto silicone hose kit

 

Well, did it work? Its been a few months. is no news good news?

Mine has similar miles. are piston rings the reason for oil consumption or not?

 

The majority of smoking is gone and absolutely none at startup but there is still a bit of smell at higher revs. The rings probably aren't the best but they are more than tolerable. I've put about two quarts in between the last 6k miles

 

 

Are you smelling oil from yor exhaust? Mine doesent consume any oil at all im thinking of doing a top end rebuild as well wondering if its worth it without doing the bottom end